T27

T27
Spring Canyon Trail

Smokey Bear Ranger District

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T27
GPS Track
(as .GPX)

White Mountain Wilderness Trails

T23, T26, T27, T29, T34 (partial), T36 (partial), T37, T38, T39, T40, T41, T42, T48, T50, T51 (partial), T53, and T54 (partial) are shown as labeled black dashed lines on the map. The solid blue line is the border of the White Mountain Wilderness . The solid green line is T25 Crest Trail.

Trail Map

LENGTH:
3.0 miles

ELEVATION:
6800 -8440 ft
1640 ft
difference

DIFFICULTY:
Difficult

SCENIC
RATING:
2

Download
Forest Service
Resource

Contour Interval: 40 feet
White Mountain Wilderness Trails (34 MB)

Godfrey Peak Topo Map Nogal Peak Topo Map

Route Color Codes	paved roads (red)		FS roads, open (blue)		FS roads, closed or impassable (magenta)
	main trail(s) (black dashes)	---	connector trail(s) (green dashes)	---	damaged or intermittent trail(s) (orange over black dashes)	---	closed trails(s) (red over black dashes)	---
Symbols	trailhead (blue triangle)		trail junction (blue dot)		trail end (blue square)

It is difficult, if not impossible, to obtain permission to cross private land between US54 and Walker Windmill at the lower T50 trailhead. Therefore, both trails must be accessed from the upper T50 trailhead. Since both ends of T27 branch off T50, the two trails taken together make a nice loop route.

DESCRIPTION:

T27 becomes a canyon bottom trail after leaving its upper trailhead, passing through a mixed conifer forest. It is in relatively good shape but becomes steep in places, passing Canyon Spring on its way to rejoin T50 at a signed junction, about 150 yards from Walker Windmill.

ACCESS:

To find the upper T50 trailhead from Smokey Bear Ranger District Office in Ruidoso, drive NM48 north 8.3 miles to NM37. Turn left and follow NM37 1.3 miles to FR107, Rio Bonito Road (signed Bonito Lake). Turn left and follow the narrow 2‑lane, sometimes rough, paved road past Bonito Lake. Go beyond the end of the pavement, through the riding stable area, to the end of the road at mile 8.3. Corrals are here for those with horses. Camping is also permitted. After parking, follow T36, Big Bonito Trail, 1.2 miles to T37, Little Bonito Trailhead. Follow T37 1.5 miles to its upper end with T25, Crest Trail. This is also the common trailhead for T50 that descends the west side of the White Mountains. To reach the upper trailhead for T27, hike T50 0.8 mile from its beginning off T25 to the T27 junction.

LOCATION(S) OF ACCESS POINT(S)

	Lat/Lon hddd mm ss.s	UTM/NAD83
Junction of T27 and T50 (upper)	N33 28 27.7 W105 50 59.8	13 S 421029 3704199
Junction of T27 and T50 (lower)	N33 28 21.2 W105 52 46.2	13 S 418281 3704023

Last Hiked: 2001	Web Page Updated:February 6, 2014
Copyright Lynn Melton 2014	Contact: LNFTG14@gmail.com